Christian Viewpoint:

Parties! Celebrations! It doesn’t take long in our house to find a reason to celebrate and to have at least a party tea and cake.

Our youngest son has been reminding us since about July that it’s his birthday soon, even though it isn’t until December. And I think that most people enjoy a good celebration now and then. At St Mark’s Church in Natland we’ve been celebrating a little bit more than usual this year as we’ve been building up to our centenary day on November 7 and it has been wonderful to see lots of different things going with lots of different people taking part.

We’ve been marking a special moment with special events, and there’s still more to come.

But whether it’s the hundredth birthday of our current church building or not, I hope we won’t ever lose the reason to celebrate. For celebration is at the heart of the Christian faith, and I think central to who we all are as human beings.

Celebrations can bring us together as a community, as families and friends, and as those who share a common purpose – regardless of age. They can remind us of all that we have and all that we enjoy.

They can evoke memories too of those who have gone before us and who have touched our hearts and lives with love. They’re good fun too.

Find something if you can, in the gift of today, to celebrate.

Angela Whittaker Priest in Charge of the Benefice of Natland and the Benefice of Old Hutton and New Hutton